Preconception Checklist – Preparing the Nursery before Baby

One thing that many parents-to-be forget to put on their preconception checklist is the preparation of the nursery. Most moms-to-be worry about eating right and taking the best prenatal vitamin. Many dads-to-be think about the changes in finances and insurance that a new baby will bring to the family. Both mothers- and fathers-to-be worry about being good parents to their future bundle of joy. However, during the preconception and trying to conceive periods of baby making, many future parents forget to add preparing the nursery to their preconception checklist. So, what are some preconception tips that all parents-to-be should know about planning for a nursery?

The first step on the preconception checklist for setting up a nursery is to find a space for your future little one. Before my husband and I bought our house, we knew that we wanted one or two children. So, while we were house hunting, we looked at only houses with three or more bedrooms. We ended up buying a house with three bedrooms. Right now, one is ours, the second is the nursery, and the third is an office (which is actually a junk room at the moment). So, my first of many preconception tips for hopeful parents-to-be is to plan the nursery before trying to conceive. If a spare bedroom is already available, then great. If not, can an office or den easily be converted into a nursery? And, remember, as you go through your preconception checklist, that a nursery does not need to be fancy. A baby will be happy with simply a place to sleep. As long as you provide love and care, your baby will not care if all you have room for in the nursery is a crib and dresser.

The second step on the preconception checklist for preparing the nursery is to buy the baby furniture that you will need. The most frugal of my preconception tips is to buy early and over a period of time. Instead of waiting until the later months of pregnancy, my husband and I have been buying the furniture and other accessories we will need for our nursery for over a year now.

Our favorite places to shop as we go down our preconception checklist of nursery needs are garage sales. We found a crib, a changing table, two strollers, a bouncer, a swing, and a playpen at garage sales. We have also found a lot of gender neutral clothes at second hand sales. I also brought my childhood bedroom set as well as the bassinet and highchair that my mother used for me and my two brothers with me from home. Our nursery is pretty much complete, and we have spend under $500 on everything.

By checking the preparation of the nursery off our preconception checklist before pregnancy, my husband and I know that we have eliminated a potentially stressful part of preparing our home and our lives for our future baby. We have also saved a lot of money by taking the time to hunt for furniture and accessories at garage sales instead of hurriedly buying everything we need for the baby new. Preconception tips like checking nursery prep off the preconception checklist has already made adding a little one to our family much easier!

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